The present invention relates to a method of cooling air in the under-roof spaces of buildings, said roof being flat and of non-insulating material.
In the hotter areas of our planet, especially the equatorial and tropical regions, there is a need to significantly reduce the temperature of the interior spaces of buildings to allow people to live and work there even during the hottest hours of the day.
There are many types of air conditioners that can be used for this purpose but they require large quantities of energy, usually electrical energy, to keep them running throughout the entire day.
When it is remembered also that in some parts of the world temperatures are very high all year round, it is not difficult to imagine the huge energy costs of providing air conditioning for whole buildings.
It should be emphasized, too, that the use of the abovementioned air conditioners raises ecological problems that should not be underestimated. Using, as they do, large amounts of electrical power, they contribute, however indirectly, to a considerable production of harmful substances and significantly raise the level of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
The problem underlying the present invention is therefore that of providing a new method that is capable of overcoming the abovementioned problems.
The problem is solved, according to the invention, by a method of cooling air in under-roof spaces of buildings, said roof being flat and of non-insulating material, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
a) mixing water, cement, aluminium powder and a material selected from sand, gravel and the like, into a smooth mixture;
b) spreading said smooth mixture over said roof to obtain a uniform layer of porous concrete;
c) drying said uniform layer of porous concrete; and
d) soaking said layer with water.